Micah M'Cain
Micah M'Cain is a young druid who has lived most of his life in Aison. After being trained for many years by druids who had adopted him, he has set out on a dangerous journey through Yamato to find his missing older sister and last remaining family member, Melina M'Cain. Biography Early Years Micah M'Cain remembers little of the Cataclysm, having been only three years old when it occurred. As battles broke out and demon hordes swarmed his homeland Yamato, everyone fled, including Micah and his parents. Micah's older sister, Melina M'Cain, was separated from them in the desperate evacuation. Micah and his parents traveled south over the border, which had been formed after the landmasses had collided, to Aison, but they only found more destruction in their path rather than a safe haven. The meager supplies the family had packed ran low, and more and more of the few remaining supplies went to little Micah, rather than his starving and exhausted parents. The family of three made it as far as the woods east of Myridia before the food ran out. Already overworked and underfed, it did not take long before starvation and thirst took Micah's mother, then his father. Alone in the woods, it seemed like the three-year-old child had little chance of survival. Fortunately, it wasn't so. The young Micah, alone and confused, managed to wander into the awareness of a group of druids who lived in the forest. Taking pity on the young child, the druids took him into their fold, and Micah spent the formative years of his live surviving off of the land and learning bits and pieces of the druidic craft. The druids treated him well, but Micah couldn't help but remember the parents who had given up their lives to spare his- and the sister he had lost all those long years ago. Eleven years passed before Micah could wait no longer. He bid a tearful farewell to the druids who had protected and raised him for more than a decade, and sent out for the city of Alent, where he assumes his sister now lives. Little did he know that the Yamato that he had left behind as a toddler and the Yamato that stood before him now were very, very different. Godslayer Era Joining the Black Hunters Micah arrived in New Molson in late autumn of 1017 AE and spent two weeks there getting to know the land while gathering supplies in preparation for his journey through Yamato. He learned that the Black Hunters, a local group of mercenaries, had been hired to travel to Yamato, free any slaves they came across and return the slaves safely to Aison for the Grey Cult. The hunters were also missing a druid after losing the previous one in a raid, so Micah thought that he could offer his services to the Hunters and work alongside them while they would offer him the safety in numbers should they run into any demons along the way. Although Micah asking to join the Hunters was initially met with cold skepticism by the Hunters' leader, Captain Yousei Kaizoku, the Hunters reconsidered Micah's value to the team once they witnessed him spotting a disguised demon spy in town and helping the Hunters capture said spy with his druidic magic. The Grey Cult arrived on the scene to take the captured demon away but not before the demon threatened the Hunters that the hordes had a plan and would make a move soon, which prompted Prophet Kaaf of the Grey Cult to have a private chat with Kaizoku while the rest of the Hunters prepared for the journey ahead. Micah's heroics were recognized, and he became a member of the Black Hunters. However, he was also warned that if bad things happened and he got separated from the rest of the party, he, like any other Hunter, would be on his own as the rest couldn't afford to risk their lives to save anyone who got lost in Yamato. Battle of Otoineppu Micah spent the following days travelling with the Hunters and got to befriend many of them, including the illusionist Seishuu Kazejin who took a liking to the young druid. Their most recent mission took them to the rather unremarkable village of Otoineppu where Kaizoku's scout had learned a prisoner transfer was to take place. Otoineppu was located betwixt Vulpengaard Keep and the city of Hyama, thus being in a strategic location which the Hunters could use to their advantage. Despite some misgiving from some of the Hunters, Kaizoku decided to seize the opportunity and assault the village at dawn, defeat the guards, free as many prisoners as possible and flee to the direction of Vulpengaard Keep before the Southern Horde, which ruled the area, could mobilize its forces. With luck they should be able to accomplish their objective and flee either to the keep, where the Akai Tora freedom fighters should welcome them in, or the ruined Temple of Hephaestus if they couldn't reach the keep in time. The Battle of Otoineppu went smoothly at first thanks to the Hunters' simple yet effective strategy and Micah doing his part by driving a pack of wolves into the village with his druidic magic to cause some havoc and to distract the defenders. During this time the druid also discovered that Shuu, the illusionist who was one of Kaizoku's closest allies, was in fact not a man at all but a kitsune as one of the Hunters explained it to him. As the battle raged, Micah had to let go of the control of the alpha wolf as trying to direct the wolf took its toll on him. Not long after he had done so, he was ambushed by one of the Southern Horde's soldiers who turned out to be a Yamatian teen not much older than himself. Micah managed to outmaneuver and outsmart his opponent in the nick of time before his opponent could kill him. The Hunters were forced to flee with the captives they had managed to free by the time demon reinforcements arrived in a mist conjured by a greater demon identifying himself as Baron Enenra. In the ensuing chaos the Hunters began following Plan B which was each man and woman fleeing with their designated captives and regrouping in a safer location. However, this also meant that Micah was left all by himself behind enemy lines. Micah quickly managed to assess the situation as he saw the mist approach and heard the Hunters flee. Feeling sorry for the Yamatian teen he had knocked unconscious earlier, he decided to carry his opponent on his back as he wasn't sure if the approaching magical mist was harmful to humans. The druid witnessed doomhounds, fierce hunters and trackers, following the Hunters' scent. When one of the doomhounds spotted Micah and ran to him, he thought his life would end then and there. Luckily for him he fell down, and the Doomhound mistook the unconscious Yamatian's scent for Micah and left the pair alone while it rejoined its fellow hounds in the hunt. Micah, realizing that he could use the sensitive noses of the Doomhounds against them, used his druidic magic to gather a flock of various birds around him and put some of his blood on each of them before scattering them. He hoped that these multiplied scents of blood would confuse the Doomhounds and give the rest of the Hunters more time to flee to safety. Realizing that he wouldn't be able to catch the rest of the Hunters in time while carrying an unsconscious body on his back, Micah decided to retreat somewhere the two of them could rest peacefully. This location turned out to be a termite-infested tree although Micah quickly used what little druidic magic he still had in reserve to drive the termites out. A Risky Plan After having rested for a while, Micah awoke to a sound coming from nearby. Worrying that the sound might belong to a Southern Horde scout, he decided to investigate just to see what exactly he'd be up against. After a brief skirmish with this mysterious opponent, Micah finally realized that who he'd been clashing with was in fact Mamori Hoshino, one of the Black Hunters. It took him some effort, but he managed to convince Mamori that he was really Micah and not a demon spy in disguise. It turned out that Mamori and a slave she had managed to rescue had gotten separated from the main party and the man had been wounded. After learning from Mamori what had happened to her in the meantime, Micah directed the pair to a nearby stream where he instructed them to get rid of their clothes lest the Doomhounds pick up their scent. After all was said and done, the slave's wounds had been treated and both he and Mamori followed Micah as they began walking towards Vulpengaard Keep. Micah suggested they start their trek back into the forest from farther downstream, so as not to make a consistent pattern for any pursuers to follow. However, that meant leaving behind Micah's pack, and the unconscious Horde assassin he'd left in the hollowed-out tree. Micah's heart ached a bit on both accounts: the backpack was his last remnant of home, and he felt more than a little guilty on leaving the Yamatian boy behind. While on the way to Vulpengaard, the trio spotted tracks which appeared to belong to humans and dogs. Micah suggested he track down whoever had left the tracks and who he speculated might be Akai Tora. If all went well, the freedom fighters would be made aware of the Hunters being chased by demons and might be able to come to their rescue. Mamori was hesitant to let Micah go alone but relented when Micah pointed out that as a druid he knew how to traverse forests faster and in a more reliable manner than the pair who were already exhausted from having to run from demons. After experiencing an odd earthquake, Micah found this other party which consisted of eight Akai Tora and two akita inu hunting dogs. The dogs picked up the druid's scent, however, and alerted the samurai's attention to him. Micah emerged from the bushes and eventually managed to convince the leader of the scouting party, Rinto Bayushi, to send two of his men with him to meet with Mamori and the slave and to confirm whether the boy's story was true. However, Rinto made it clear that if Micah tried to betray them in any way, the druid would be the first to die. Micah eventually reunited with Mamori and the slave just in time for snow to begin to fall and informed Mamori of his meeting with the Akai Tora. The freedom fighters planned to head for the Temple of Hephaestus, where they speculated the earlier earthquake had originated from, to find out if the quake was the result of some demonic spell being cast. While trekking north, the group came across Shuu in fox form. The Akai Tora grew even more suspicious when they heard the fox being referred to with a name as he transformed into a naked human form. Shuu quickly explained that the rest of the Hunters had fled to the temple ruins and were now surrounded by Southern Horde's forces and how their leader, Enenra, wanted a Yamatian boy returned to him who he believed the Hunters had kidnapped. Micah realized that the horde soldier he had saved and later left behind in the hollow tree had to have been the boy Enenra was after. He finally confessed what had happened with him and the boy in Otoineppu much to Mamori's frustration as the boy might've already woken up and left the tree so he couldn't be tracked down so easily anymore. However, the druid quickly explained that he had a plan: Shuu would cast an illusion on him, allowing Micah to appear as the boy Enenra wanted and perhaps save the Hunters from demise at the hands of demons. With luck, Micah could then infiltrate the Southern Horde and sabotage their plans from the inside. It was a daring plan with little promise of success, but it was the best they could think of on such short notice. After convincing the Akai Tora to return to their commander and fetch reinforcements to keep the Hunters and freed slaves safe, Shuu cast an illusion on Micah. The three Black Hunters and the slave they had saved headed to the temple grounds and began putting the druid's plan in motion. However, the foursome remained unaware that one of the Akai Tora was now following them unseen; the samurai still suspected foul play from them and wanted to verify whether the group had been telling the truth with their own eyes. Infiltrating the South Micah witnessed Enenra conversing with Kaizoku, who was hiding in the temple ruins. Hoping his disguise would work, he drew the demon's attention to himself much to the latter's surprise as the demons had expected the boy, who they called Sasuke, to have been held captive by the Hunters. Kaizoku initially tried to keep up the act that he had the real boy with him until Mamori stepped out and let Kaizoku know with a coded phrase that he shouldn't interfere with the plan she was part of. Enenra, however, wasn't fully convinced, especially when the disguised Micah's voice sounded off to him. Thanks to quick thinking, Micah came up with an excuse for why 'Sasuke' sounded different than normal. To further convince he was really the one the demons were after, he suddenly turned on Mamori and injured her while secretly hoping she would forgive him for what he had done. The risky improvisation turned out to be successful as Micah, and Shuu who followed him unseen, was whisked to Nagashima Fortress, Enenra's stronghold, which watched over the Southern Horde's capital Hyama. A feast was held later that night to celebrate Sasuke's first battlefield experience and the capture and slaughter of several Black Hunters. Mamori had been taken captive and put in the dungeon to be tortured and interrogated, and there was no telling how many of the Black Hunters hiding in the Temple of Hephaestus had survived the initial assault. The disguised Micah eventually retired to the bedroom prepared for 'Sasuke' and went into a deep sleep, hoping the Hunters would forgive his betrayal. Micah woke up late in the morning the following day and found Shuu in his quarters. The illusionist promised to keep up the illusion on Micah as long as he could while also masking himself as one of Sasuke's servants so he could stay close to Micah to keep up the illusion. More info later. Aliases and Nicknames ; Freckles : Uminoko Kawamoto's nickname for him. ; Sasuke Ofuchi : While undercover in the Southern Horde. Appearance Micah's a bit on the short side, having not really hit his growth spurt yet. He has blue eyes and long-ish brown hair that's usually tied back in a ponytail, but is let down when he's sleeping or on his downtime. Micah favors loose, baggy clothes in shades of green, his favorite outfit being a light green robe with white trim and matching boots. He has tan skin and a spray of freckles across his nose and under his eyes. Personality and Traits Somewhat shy and not great at dealing with people, having spent most of his life living in the forest largely by himself. However, when Micah promises he'll do something, he will do it, no if's, and's, or but's about it- even if it kills him. He also hates fighting and hurting people (hence why he doesn't carry a weapon) but is willing to injure (definitely NOT kill) if he's been convinced that it's necessary. Powers and Abilities As a novice druid Micah knows basic herbology and how to navigate in the wilderness. He is decent at controlling animals but has a self-professed lack of talent at manipulating plants. Micah is also a skilled tracker, and knows how to use knives in combat despite preferring non-violence. Relationships Enenra Micah got involved in Enenra's plans when he began impersonating Enenra's apprentice Sasuke Ofuchi. The ruse appeared to work, and Micah gained access to the fort commanded by Enenra while trying to figure out the demons' plans from the inside. During his time in the fort, Micah came to see a softer side of Enenra while interacting with him, but he ultimately chose to drop the act and assault Enenra to help the new friends he'd made in the fortress to carry out their mission. Mamori Hoshino Micah and Mamori got to interact more by the time both of them were separated from the main group in the aftermath of the raid on Otoineppu. Although Mamori sometimes questioned whether Micah's plans were sound, she ultimately saw that Micah, despite being young, could think strategically and let him carry out his plans. Micah appreciated Mamori's concern and did his best to protect her and the other Hunters. Micah paid back Mamori's trust in him by saving her from the dungeon in the fortress he had infiltrated even though such an act of goodwill could jeopardize his mission. Melina M'Cain Melina is Micah's older sister and his last surviving relative. Micah believed his sister was still alive and left on a journey to find and reunite with her. After finding her as a slave among demons, however, Micah came to realize that Melina had fallen under the demons' influence and appeared to have little if any of her former personality left. Despite this setback, Micah is determined to save his sister one way or another no matter what it takes. Sasuke Ofuchi Micah and Sasuke's encounter happened by chance, one being the victim to the other. However, Sasuke underestimated the young druid's skills during the hunt and was beaten after a struggle, which allowed Micah to assume his identity and infiltrate the horde to learn more about Enenra's plans. After coming to, Sasuke vowed revenge and managed to track down Micah while in a feverish state from the cold, only to be beaten again. He hasn't forgotten his humiliation at the hands of the druid but nevertheless views him as a mere hindrance to his plans. Micah is ambivalent towards Sasuke: on the one hand he left Sasuke alive after their encounters but on the other hand he doesn't share any love for the young lord either. Seishuu Kazejin Since their quirky meeting in Molson, Shuu has taken an interest in Micah for reasons that are his own. He often teased Micah, amused by the druid's reactions. After the raid on Otoineppu, the two of them have ended working together more closely than either of them had anticipated although Shuu appears to enjoy seeing what Micah is capable of when push comes to shove. Although considering Shuu an ally, Micah has trouble adjusting to the fact that the illusionist he's spent time with isn't human at all, but he doesn't let that fact bother him too much. Uminoko Kawamoto Uminoko and Micah originally crossed paths by chance, but they've more or less befriended one another since then, realizing the value each of them brings to the party. Uminoko helping Micah deal with Sasuke didn't go unnoticed, and Uminoko likewise trusted Micah to keep the Scepter of the Stormborn from the wrong hands. See also *Black Hunters *Melina M'Cain *Sasuke Ofuchi Category:Black Hunters Category:Characters Category:Humans Category:Third Age Category:Yamato